Hospital table



Aug. 4, 1931. P. E. GRAFF 1,817,186

HOSPITAL TABLE Filed Sepx, 14, 1925 5 Sheets-Sheet l illlllll Milli Aug. 4, 1931.l P. E. GRAFF HOSPITAL TABLE f Filed Sept. 14,. 1925.

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HOSPITAL TABLE Patented Aug. 4, 1931 PHILIP E. GRAFF, OF EVANSTON, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR TO SIMMONS COMPANY, OF NEW i YORK, N. Y., A CORPORATION OF DELAWARE l I v HOSPITAL TABLE Application .filed September 14, 1925. Serial No. 56,146.

This invention relates to hospital tables and the like, in which it is desired to provide a table top which may be easily projected and supported over the bed so that a patient 5 confined to the bed may have easy, convenient use thereof.

The object of this invention is to provide such a table in which the top may be easily projected over the bed without danger of overbalancing the supporting frame and the consequent upsetting of the table. Another object is to provide a table having mea-ns for positioning the top at any desired height or at any desired horizontal angle relative to the table supporting structure. Another object is to provide a table structure which will be light in weight, of simple construction and which will have the necessary strength to withstand frequent moving and handling such as they receive in such institutions as hospitals. Further objects and advantages of my invention will appear when reference 'is had to the following specication when considered in connection with the accompanying drawings wherein I have illustrated a selected embodiment of my invention, in which:

Fig. l is a side elevation.

Fig. 2 is an end elevation.

Fig. 3 is a plan having certain parts broken away to better illustrate the construction.

. Fig. 1 is a section on the line 1 -t of Fig. 1.

Fig. 5 is a section on the line 55 of Fig. 2, and l l Fig. 6 is a section on the line (36 oi Fig. 5.

In the drawings, a stationary table top 10 Ais supported by a supporting frame 11. The supporting frame 11 comprises corner posts or legs 12, preferablyv of tubular construction, united by means of upper frame members 13 which are secured thereto by means of soldering, asv indicatedat 14, or any other suitable means. The stationary top 10 is supported on the members 13 and comprises tubular trame members 15 and a plate 16.

The members 15 may be secured to the supporting frame members 13 lby means of soldering, indicated at 17, and the top plate 16 may be secured to the frame members 15 by having its edges bent down over the sides of 'arm 37.

the frame members 15 and inwardly thereunder, as indicated at 18 and 19 respectively.

Frame lmembers 20-20 and 21-21 unite the legs at their lower ends and also serve as supporting members for a shelf 22 which may be conveniently secured thereto by having its edges bent down over the frame members and inwardly thereunder as indicated at 23 and 24 respectively, or any other suitable means.

A shiftable top 25 comprises a tubular frame 2G made up of tubular members 27, 28, 29 and 30 secured together at their ends by soldering, as indicated at 31, or any other suitable way. Intermediate members 32-32 extend across the frame between 'the aforementioned members 27 and 28 are secured thereto by suitable means such as soldering, and are provided for a purpose hereinafter set forth. A top plate 33 having its edges bent downwardly over the frame members 27, 28, 29 and 30 is secured thereto by means of screws 34 which pass through apertures in the bent down edges of 'the top plate and engage threaded apertures in the frame members. Any other suitable means of fastening may be employed or the top may remain unsecured to render it readily removable for cleaning or so that it may be used as a tray it desired.

A sheet of cardboard, telt, or other suitable sound-deadening material may be interposed between the top plate 33 and the supporting frame members 27, 28, 29 and 30, as indicated at 70, and the top plate 33 may have its edges somewhat raised as indicated at 71, to prevent any liquid which may be spilled thereon from running ofi. Stops 72 of telt or other material may be secured to the under side of the shiftable top frame members in order to prevent actual contact between the shittable top and stationary top thereby eliminating scratching or damaging of the stationary top surface.

The shittable top is supported on a post member 35 which comprises a downwardly extending leg 36 and a horizontally extending The horizontally extending arm 37 is provided with a cross member 38 secured thereto by suitable means such as soldering as indicated at 39, which member 38 is fastened /Y We! the post member 35.

to the frame members 32 by means of screws 40, as best shown in Fig. 3. The end of the horizontally extending arm 37 may conveniently be flattened as indicated at 4l, and

' projected through an aperture 42 in the inner Wall ofthe frame member 28 in order to support ythat edge ofthe shiftable top. Y

The downwardly extending leg 36 which is of circularvformation is received within a tube 43 and/is adapted to be rotated therein. The said receiving tube 43 is secured to the supporting frame l1 within a vertically ci;- tending member 44 which may be provided. with a reinforcing tube 45. A spring 46 may be disposed between 'the lower end 47 of the downwardlyextending leg 36 and the bottom 48 of the receiving tube 43. The yspring 46 serves to nor-mally raise the shift able top a slight distance to disenofage a locking means which will hereinafter be described. n

'A plate 49 secured to the stationary top 10 by means of screws 50-50 is provided with a straight edge 51. Another plate 52 secured'A to the cross members 32 of the shiftable top by meansl of screws 53-53 is provided with an edge 54 complementary to lthe edge 5lof the plate 49. By depressing the shiftable top against the spring 46 so that the edges 51 and 54 are brought into engagement, the shiftable top is prevented from being displaced from a position overlying the stationary top. It is of course apparent that any number of positions may be provided by providing edges similar to the edge 51 of the plate 49 corresponding to 'the desired position of the shiftable top. j

Means for retaining the iocked position of the shiftable top comprises a U-shaped member 55 to which is secured a projecting screw member 56 which is adapted to be engaged by a hand Ywheel 57. The iid-shaped member' 55 is' apertured `as indicated at 53-53 to receive the 'downwardly extending leg 36 of y By turning the hand wheel 57'tlie member 55 is drawn into clamping engagement with the leg 36 and prevents thesame from bei-ng rotated or raised by the spring 46. The clamping member 55 vand screw 56 are anchored to the vertical post 44 by reason of the screw 56 projecting through an aperture 59 therein. A washer 60 may be 'provided between the-member 44 and hand wheel 5T to prevent excessive wear.

An eXtensible legG'l is adapted to be drawn out` asv indicated in dotted lines in Fig. l when the shiftable topv is rotated to prokject outwardly, as also indicated in Fig. l, to prevent tipping or upsetting of the table. This extensible leg`6l is preferably-of tubular construction and is slidably engaged with the supporting frame llr in the folowin-g manner: ,A pair of angle iron :guides 62-62 is `secured tothe supporting fstructurell b -means l'of projecting ears 'G3-'63 which project through apertures 64 in the frame members 21-21, as best shown in Fig. 5, and rest on the lower wall of the said frame meinbers. The said angle iron guidesl 62 are spaced apart, as indicated at 65, to permit passage therebetween of a pair of screw members 66 which members are anchored in the extensible leg 6l. Tear plates 67 and 68 are provided to slide back and forth on the guide members as the eXtensible leg 6l is drawn out orreturned to its inner position. Suitable casters 69 may be provided in the legs to render the table easily moved about.

l am aware that the construction of my inproved table may be varied without departing from the spirit of my invention and I reserve the right to make all vsuch changes therein as fairly fall within the scope of the following claims which should be construed as broadly as possible consistent with the state of the art.

l claim as my invention:

l. ln an article of the class described, a stationary table top, a supporting frame for said top, a horizontally shiftable table top and a supporting post therefor, locking means for retaining said shiftable top in overlying posit-ion of horizontal adjustment relative to said stationary top, means normally tending to disengage said locking.

means and means for maintaining said shiftable top locked in said overlying position of adjustment. V I

2. In an article of the class described, a stationary table top, a supporting frame for said top, a horizontally shiftable table top and a supporting post therefor, locking means for retaining said shiftable top in overlying relation to said stationary: top, means for maintaining the lockedV position and means for disengaging the locking engagement comprising a spring adapted to raise said shiftable top to disengage the respective lockingelements.

3. ln an article of the class described, a. stationary table top, a supporting frame forv said top7 a shiftable table top anda supporting post therefor, means integral with said supporting frame for receiving said post and means for retaining said shiftable top at -any desired position and elevation comprising a member anchored to said supportingy frame having an aperture therein to receive said post and means for clamping said member tightly against said post. Y

4. In a table of the Vclass described,-al stationary top Vand a shiftable top, said shiftable top comprising a tubular frame and a top plate supported thereby, a supporting frame for said stationary top and a supporting post;

for said shiftable top, said post comprising a downwardly extending legof circular cross section and an integral horizontally Vextending arm secured to said shiftabletop frame and having its end flattened fandvinserted '33 through an aperture in a portion of said tubular frame to support the outer edge of said shiftable top.

5. In a hospital table, the combination of a supporting' frame, a table top secured to said frame in fixed position thereon, a second table top of sheet metal having a peripheral flange depending therefrom, thereby forming, in effect, a recess on the 'under side of said second top, means for mounting said second top on said main frame so as to permit horizontal shifting thereof relative to the fixed top, said mounting means being connected to said shiftable top within the periphery thereof and substantially within the recess thereof, and thereby practically concealed when the shiftable top is disposed over said lixed top.

6. In a hospital table, the combination of a supporting frame, a table top secured to said frame in fixed position thereon, a second table top having a recessed bottom portion, means for mounting said second top on said main frame so as to permit vertical adjustment and horizontal shifting thereof relative to the lixed top, said mounting means including a post vertically slidably mounted on said main frame, and connected to said shiftable top in said recess so that the connection is practically concealed in the recess, said post being disposed within the periphery of said shiftable top so that the post is also practically concealed when the shiftable top is disposed in position overlying said fixed top.

7. In a table of the class described, the combination of a supporting frame, a stationary top and a shiftable top supported by said frame, said shiftable top being normally disposed over said stationary top and being formed of sheet metal having a depending peripheral iiange, thereby forming, in eect, a recess on the under side of said shiftable top, means for mounting said shiftable top on said main frame including a downwardly extending leg rotatably mounted in a part of said frame and a horizontally extending arm located substantially within said shiftable top recess, thereby permitting the lower `edge of the depending flanges of said shiftable top to be disposed closely adjacent the top surface of said stationary top when said shiftable top is disposed in overlying position relative to said stationary top.

8. In a table structure of the class described, the combination of a main table top, a supporting frame for said top, an auxiliary table top, normally disposed over said main top, means for mounting said auxiliary top on said frame so as to permit the same to be shifted in a horizontal plane to offset, operative position with respect to said main top and frame and also adjusted vertically, and means for locking said auxiliary top in said normal overlying position when in its lowermost position of vertical adjustment, said means comprising a member attached to said auxiliary top and a member attached to said stationary top, said members having complementary portions adapted to be engaged to prevent horizontal shifting of said auxiliary top when the latter is in its said lowermost overlying position.

9. In a hospital table, the combination of a supporting frame, a pair of table tops mounted on said frame and normally disposed in relatively superposed, vertically spaced relation to each other, one of said tops being fixedly mounted on said frame, means for adjustably mounting the other top comprising a post rotatably mounted on one side on said supporting frame and adjacent an edge portion of said fixedly mounted top, said other top being secured to said post and thereby supported so as to be shiftable, in a horizontal plane about the axis of said post, from said normal position to offset position substantially outside the area of said lixedly mounted top.

10. In a hospital table, the combination of a supporting frame, a main table top mounted on said frame, an auxiliary table top normally overlying said main top, means for pivotally mounting said auxiliary top on a vertical axis on said frame adjacent the edge of said main top, whereby said auxiliary top is shiftable, in a horizontal plane, to an offset position substantially outside of the area of said main top.

11. In a hospital table, the combination of a supporting frame, a main table top secured to said frame in fixed position thereon, an auxiliary table top having a depending peripheral flange, means for mounting said auxiliary top on said frame for vertical and horizontal adjustment relative to said main top, said mounting means including a post vertically slidably mounted on said main frame and adjacent the periphery of said main top, said post having a horizontally projecting portion extending through said peripheral flange and secured to said auxiliary top within the confines of said peripheral flange.

PHILIP E. GRAFF. 

